Javier Mascherano has finally, officially gotten his second chance in the Premiership, after the league Tuesday cleared him to play at Liverpool FC for the remaining three and a half months of the season. The deal has been held up since the transfer deadline expired on Feb. 1. It has taken the league nearly three weeks to decide whether the move breaches its rules. Among the considerations were whether or not the move was influenced by a "third-party influence"-i.e. Kia Joorabchian, the Iranian businessman who owns a portion of Mascherano's rights, although to date, it's still unclear exactly to what extent Mascherano and Carlos Tevez, his Argentine compatriot, are tied to Joorabchian and his former company Media Sports Investment.

Either way, the league is now satisfied that the loan deal that will see Mascherano suit up for Liverpool for the remainder of the season doesn't breach its rules. Prior to the Premier League ruling, FIFA in January granted Mascherano special dispensation to make the move despite the fact that he's already played for two other clubs since July 1 last year. In making its ruling, FIFA took into consideration the fact that the South American and European club seasons overlap. The 22-year old could suit up for Wednesday's Champions League second round clash against Barcelona. Read the original story...